April 2010

April 29, 2010

Julie, just brought this one to my attention on Facebook. There is another documentary out right now called FRESH. (I have not seen it.) Please stop by the website and sign the petition to stop the government from preventing the labeling of GMO foods before the deadline on Monday! Maybe together we can all make a difference in the labeling of GMO's.

"FRESH is a documentary featuring Michael Pollan, Will Allen and Joel Salatin which celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system."

At this time, the documentary is not available on DVD, but it will be. Pass it on! (Thanks, Julie! :) I thought this post that she wrote about milk and Max Kane's advocacy of raw milk has a lot of really good info. in it.)

April 28, 2010

Here's my waiver: I'm passionately into natural/organic living. I have only mentioned it here or there on my blog but I haven't really openly talked about a lot of my thoughts and opinions. Read no further if you don't give a rip about it! :) Really. I don't want to push my thoughts on anyone who isn't interested. I don't think this post is too heavy or anything but it is about natural living... So, if you are at all interested, read on.

We all sat down and watched Food, Inc. (on PBS.org) on Sunday evening. {Tonight, Wednesday, April 28th is the last day to watch it on-line! My mistake when I said the 29th.It's available until midnight (PST). If you're unable to see it by tonight, I was just told that it's also available on Netflix streaming.} It was very informative. The kids really soaked it up, too. (I did mention some of this on Facebook already...) I'd seen The Future of Food(on Hulu.com) last fall and, although, I'd heard others mention some of the things in there, that was a real eye-opener for me. I think it would be great if everyone were to learn the truth about M*nsanto and their R*und-Up Ready seeds.

Food, Inc. felt a little different and maybe a little more 'modern' (although, The Future of Food is also relatively new). It sort of brings it all to life, what's being put into our mass-produced foods, the consequences of that desire to mass-produce in our fast-paced world, and how 'synthetic' and far that food has come from what it originally was. I highly encourage you to take a look!

(And, I promise, I don't think it will make you panic. It's not intended to have a panic effect. It will, however, make you want to start changing if you eat mostly mainstream produced foods and that's why I think everyone should watch it. And, Julie, if you see this, I don't think it will make you stop eating ice cream, but it may make you wish to never buy mass-produced hamburger again. Or maybe chicken.) ;)

If you're not able to watch it on PBS.org by this Thursday (April 29), I believe the documentary can also be ordered, or you can probably borrow it from your local library.

It's funny, I don't consider myself a 'tree-hugger', although, I do many of the things that those who are all about 'saving the earth' do. Yet, I believe I do them for (possibly) different reasons. For me, I don't believe we can 'save the earth'. From a spiritual point of view, I believe that time here on earth will end one day and only God knows when that time will be. But, from a logical perspective, I believe we should care for the earth. God gave us this beautiful gift and we should take care of it while we're here, however long or short that may be.

I also don't believe we can do anything to prolong our lives. That's only my opinion. No amount of healthy eating and exercise is going to make anyone live forever. But, for myself, if I can eliminate some of the toxins that are causing cancer, food allergies and some of the other diseases that are so prevalent now, that's what I care about. It doesn't mean we'll never get those diseases, that we'll never be sick, but if I know how bad something is for us, I'd rather not use that thing or have it around my family.

I don't really recycle. Not my cans or bottles or that sort of thing. I do thrift almost everything and I love digging through other people's garbage. (Can you say, curbside junk-picking in the spring! Or the local dump! Garage sales, yard sales, you name it!) I guess I do recycle magazines and sometimes newspapers. But, I don't think of myself as a recycler. I also use reusable bags at the grocery store. But, I started doing that because I was sick of the cheaper-made plastic ones always ripping. (And, I do occasionally get plastic because I reuse them around the house.)

Much of my feelings on organic and natural living stem from Carter's peanut allergy diagnosis. Sure, I was interested long before that, when I was single and living out on my own in a small 'cowtown' in the middle of Minnesota. I had no health insurance and I had a throat infection (most likely strep but I didn't go to the doctor's). A friend's mom recommended Oil of Oregano and after feeling/seeing first-hand the effects of the oil, I was sold.

I've always been intrigued by the notion of getting back to our roots. About slowing down this rapidly growing and increasingly busier way of life. But it was that peanut allergy diagnosis that lit my fire. (There are many theories about food allergies, and one of them involves the possible consequences of GMO's, which are in many, many mainstream foods nowadays. And, they are not labeled, which makes me very angry. By the by, both political parties have those who support and push for the use of GMO's.) And, yet, I've been relatively quiet on here, considering how passionate I am about natural living. Having been on the other side of the fence at one point in my life, I can understand how not everyone wants to listen to others talk about it. But, now I can also understand why one can get so into it. The more you learn, the more excited you get about it. The more you see natural medicine doing it's job, the more excited you get about it. The more you read about it and talk to people about it, the more excited you get about it. And, on and on it rolls.

For me, it was a snowball effect. I started slowly, dipping my toes in, and now years later I'm in way over my head and, for me, that's a good thing.

I think the biggest thing is finding that happy medium. There are definitely extremes with natural medicine just as there are with everything else in life. It's finding that balance, the things that will work for you and your family, that are important. But, whether you care or not, take a look at Food, Inc. At least, check it out. If nothing else, it will make you think. (And, that's a good thing.)

April 25, 2010

The kids of Riverdale High are getting a new classmate beginning with the September issue.

The following is a quote from the article:

"Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater remarked,
"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie
Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always
been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly
gay character in Archie comic books.""

April 24, 2010

For those who eat food, the documentary Food, Inc. is available on-line on PBS until Thursday, April 29 {my mistake!}--it's only available until midnight (PST) Wednesday, April 28th! Please watch it! :) Pretty please.

April 23, 2010

After we ate lunch with the other families who went to the park last Monday, listened to a fun presentation on wild animals in our region, and played on the playground, the kids and I stopped off at the Mississippi Headwaters before heading home. It was quite warm out by this time, being late in the day, and the kids took a little dip in the river, clothes and all. (I'd brought a change of clothes for each of them because we'd planned this stop on the trip.) It was a nice time to go. There weren't very many other people at the park besides the group we went with, so it was peaceful and quiet.

(I didn't get pictures anywhere else in the park. This was the only time I had my camera out.)

The water where the kids are standing is the mouth of the river. The body of water on the other side of the rocks is Lake Itasca.

April 21, 2010

Heather is having a 50% off sale thru today (Wednesday) over at Post Road Vintage! Hurry! Sale ends tonight! (She'd sent me a message earlier this week but I've been go-go-going all week and didn't see it until right now!)

April 20, 2010

I was going to take a bunch of random pictures of my day and make it a regular feature. I took a handful, but they mostly ended up being of my decor and little else as I only had the camera out for about 10 minutes.

I'm tired and I can't wait to settle down for the night! Two days in a row of running is a bit too much for this homebody but it was a fun two days.

Monday, the kids and I ran errands. (I mentioned this on Facebook already...) I scored big time at the thrift. I found a Simply Shabby Chic slipcover for my couch for $6.00. The leftover garage sale tape on it said it had only been used for three months. It looked brand new. I threw it in the wash as soon as I got home so I could try it out on my couch, and it fit! I'm hoping some year--maybe in five or ten, I'll actually get around to figuring out how to alter it so it's more of a custom fit for my couch, though.

Today, we went on a field trip with our home school group to Itasca State Park. What a beautiful place! The towering pines are so majestic and the lake is so picturesque. I can't wait to go again. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Temps were in the low 70°'s F. Perfect.

This was my first trip up there and we've lived here four years!

I came in the door from the park, with a subtle sunburn on my face, whipped supper on the table, and ran out the door again to a {insert name of my town} Arts Guild meeting. MAG, for short.

I was invited to be a part of this newly formed group in town earlier this year and it's been really fun. I'm excited about helping out in promoting the artists and crafters of our area! Right now we're working on organizing and promoting the craft show that will take place during our Midsummer Festival. We're closing down Main Street this year. And, we're very excited about the change in location!

I feel like I need to be a bit of a low-key player at this point in my life, but I appreciate the opportunity to be involved with such a wonderful group of people! There are a lot of exciting things in the works. And, I really look forward to our monthly meetings.

And, for the locals, if you've ever considered doing a booth in the show, I'd highly encourage you to give it a shot this year. We're looking for some great new vendors to expand the show! Email me for details, if you're interested!

April 17, 2010

As many of you already know, I'm on a mission to knock out as many, if not all, of the chemicals from our lives as possible. I'm obsessed and I love it! I've had many posts floating around in my head about my thoughts on organic, natural living but have yet to bring them down to my keyboard.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this recent article I came across today, in case you didn't see it and you're interested...

April 15, 2010

There are so many fabulous Etsy shops out there offering up just about anything vintage or handmade from art supplies to clothing to baby toys to furniture and everything in between. If you haven't taken a moment to browse the many shops yet, I highly encourage you to do so!

I was so surprised to find out recently that one of my favorite Etsy shops, one filled with repurposed and upcycled vintage junk decor and household items, was in fact run by someone I 'know' in real life that goes to the same church as me. I'm still getting such a kick out of it! I know many of my readers are already familiar with Post Road Vintage and personally know Heather but for those who don't, I'd like to introduce you!

She will have items for sale at Re-Treat Design's occasional sales for those local to the Copper Country (MI), but for those who live away, her Etsy shop is chock full of her vintage finds and upcycled creations. (Did any of you readers, or 'lurker's, as the case may be, make it out to the grand opening sale at Re-Treat? I wish I could make a trip up there just to check it out!)

Unbeknownst to Heather, I've kept her shop as an inspiration to what I'd like mine to become. It has always been my goal to list repurposed treasures in my shop, and her photos and the things she makes really inspire me.

I have a very foggy memory and am not 100% positive of who she is. (I'm picturing blonde curly hair and glasses, but might be a sister...?) I know I was at her mom & dad's home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for my sister-in-law Janelle's bachelorette party a few years back. And, I remember how much I was admiring all of her mom, Tess's, architectural pieces in her decor. Her home was very pretty. It's easy to see where Heather gets her talent and creativity from!

Heather's photos are gorgeous and artistic and the items she offers up in her shop are equally so, as well as creative and one-of-a-kind. She's been featured all over Etsy and recently started a blog. So, stop on by and see for yourself all of the wonderful treasures she has to offer in her shop and all of the inspiring photos and shops she features on her blog, which I've added to my right-hand sidebar! As a fellow junker, it's so exciting to see someone else making so many fun things and doing so well! I just know this girl is going to go places!

{I'm hoping after spending some time there, it will give me a kick in the pants to start working on some stuff of my own. The craft show I'm planning to do is in early July and I haven't got one single thing started for it yet!}

April 14, 2010

It was so great to have my family around last week but that time just flew by! I feel like it was such a whirlwind. Now, we're dealing with the post-family letdown. They headed home Sunday morning as the kids had school on Monday and both my mom and dad had work. (They had spring break last week.) My sister, Molly's birthday is on our Anniversary. (We got married on her golden birthday, when she was 7.)

Poor Maggie, their Shih Tzu, was sick when they were here, with a UTI. So, they had to bring her to a vet. It seems like something will always happen when they come out here! At least this time it was only the dog, (never mind the vet bill!). Last time, everyone got the flu, and it was an awful bug!

(When asked to take a picture of him with his gold medal...)

I've been slowly easing myself back into our normal routine around here but I've been spending plenty of time reading my book, too. (Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls.) It's really good. Fiction, but her maternal grandmother is the main character. I'm almost done and I don't know what to read next!

We started home school again on Monday, too. Hard to believe the year is almost over. We have about a month and a half left. Our home school group (classes one day a week) only go for two more weeks. We have the state park field trip coming up soon. And, there will be an end-of-the-year picnic in May at a local park that the kids are looking forward to as well.

I got nearly all of the clutter cleared out of the first floor before my family came but I want to tackle the few remaining things this week. And, then we can finish painting these plywood floors and I want to start decorating! The best part, but I've been putting it off because of all the clutter.

I'm trying to work up the nerve to clear out the loft and our bedroom now, too, since that was the 'landing area' for all the extra boxes and stuff I still need to go through. I'm excited to set up a studio of sorts in the loft once I get going so I can start working on Whimsical Junk projects. I plan to do the local craft show this summer and I need to begin working on stuff for that!

I started taking pictures of junk to add to Etsy. If I can get a few more things, I'll be doing a much needed shop update soon. With home schooling and decluttering, I put that on the back burner for the past few months but now that I feel like I have a handle on both, it's time to start listing things again. I opened up a separate checking account, too, so I can mail packages from home, which will make the shipping a little easier, as well.

I'll be back tomorrow with a shout-out for that Etsy shop I mentioned last week! I hope your day is going well!

P.S. The title means nothing. I couldn't think of one today! I made applesauce last night. I need to make more this week. And, I'm wondering if anyone has any good pasta salad recipes? I've got a huge jar of Mayo leftover from when my family was here and I'd love to get a few new tried-and-true recipes with summer coming!